My Blizzard memories and photos from 1967-2011

Blizzard of 2015

February 1-2

We got several inches of snow overnight on January 31. Our great granddaughter had a 7:00 AM game and as they left their house, a power line snapped and they were without power for 15 hours. Carm won her game. Luke had a game at 10:10 and he scored 2 goals . Hockey players don't let blizzards stop them. I cleared it off of the driveway by 12:00 PM. It was covered with another inch when I finished. The snow plows filled the driveway apron with 15-20 inches at 2:00. I went out at 3:00 and the driveway had 3 more inches on it, so I cleared that and the apron. I measured 14 inches at that time. The blizzard conditions started after that and lasted until midnight. I had a snow covered driveway to clear on February 2nd. The drifts were high.

This is the view from our living room window at 9:00 AM.

This is the view from our deck, there is a foot of snow on the table.

I cleared a path to the street.

I knocked some snow off of this tree with my hockey stick.

The number on this yard stick is 17 inches, but that has blown snow.

February 2, 2015 Groundhog Day


	When I opened the back door, I was greeted by snow drifts that made it a challenge to get to the Snow blower.

The sun was helping me clear the drive.	I was warm and sweaty.

The Winter of 2020-2021

On February 16, 2021 I cleared my driveway after another stow storm hit us. We had a very dry November and December but it really picked up in January. New years day we finally got some measurable snow (3 inches).

	This is what we saw at the Morton Arboretum on January 2, 2021
I had Carpal Tunnel surgery on January 26 and we had 6 inches of snow, so my aon Dan came over with Luke and Audrey to clear the driveway.	We got hit with another 8 inches on January 30, so Dan came over with a snow blower for Luke to use while he worked the big one that Ken and Jeff repaired.
I measured 18 inches of snow on this table. There was very little melting because we had sub freezing temperatures. Several inches were lost by sublimation.	With a snow free driveway, we headed to the Morton Arboretum to take my monthly picture. (Below Left)

On February 15th it started snowing in the evening and continued until we had another foot of snowin the morning. I measured 26 inches on the table.	The next three picture show what I was looking at when I started my snow blower on the morning of February 16, 2021.

After clearing the driveway and sidewalks, I felt like I play a 2 hour hockey game.	My clothes were soaking wet when I finished, but it is a great feeling.

With all of this snow, the winter of 2020-21, it didn't make the top ten of snowiest winters. O'Hare has received 44.2 inches of snow as of February 16, 2021. The winter of 1978-79 had 89.7 inches.

In 1999, before I had a snow blower, Ken brought his family over to help me clear my driveway.	We didn't get Debbie's Camaro out until the spring. Ken brought Mike, Amanda and Jeff to help me dig out.
Jeff wasn't much help, but he had fun.	Our former Duffer Referee, Agi even pitched in.

	Blizzard of 1967 I remember the Blizzard of 1967 well. It was Records Day in the Chicago Schools, so the kids had the day off, but teachers were working on their semester end records. We were going to lunch (A rare treat for teachers)and our principal told us to go straight home because we were going to get a lot of snow. We were lucky that he did that, because I barely made it home that day and my car stayed in front of my house for days. I went from 47th street on the Dan Ryan Expressway to the Eisenhower, but that ramp was clogged with cars, so I continued on to the Augusta Boulevard ramp and headed west to Parkside Ave. where I lived at that time.

The Blizzard of 2011 was just starting at 3:30	The Birds and squirrels were loading up, just like people
This little guy just got a drink from my heated bird bath	I could hardly see Dzingel's house by 4:30

At 7:00 AM it was still blowing and we had 15 inches on the ground.	Squirrels and birds were all over my deck

We had a wall of snow when I opened the garage door	I had to take a beer break to cool off my snow blower
This snow is the only thing that worries me. If I was 39, like I was in 1979, I would go up there and push it off and make another snow hill.	The driveway is about 40% done, my beer is 100% done. What should I do, get another beer or go back to work?
Downers Grove got 24 inches of snow	No mail today, must have been Newman.
This Dove stopped by for a drink.	Two squirrels joined the dove.
The snow pile provided a waist high beer cooler-holder.	This heated vibrating recliner is just what I need. (and a comb)

Once I had a path to my car cleared I went for a spin.	The shopping center was cleared.

I went to Nicks to see my retired hockey friends.	I was the only one to show up so Karen rolled out the red carpet.

I woke up to see 2 more inches on our drive way. I was happy to see that my neighbor had cleared the sidewalk and driveway apron!	We took a drive to the Morton Arboretum to see if any of my GLOBE students would show up to collect GLOBE data.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Nate and his Mom waiting for me. He was on top of a snow pile, looking down at the Weather station.	I didn't have a shovel, so I started scooping snow with my clip board to dig a path to our Weather Station, but Nate had a better method.
Nate located our snow board with our meter stick after a few minutes of digging. It took a while longer to get it out.	After measuring the new snow and total snow, we went to our digital thermometer that records soil and air temperatures for 6 days.
I recorded surface temperatures with a pen that was freezing up. (I should have used a #2 pencil, they even write upside down)	I thanked Nat's Mom for bringing him out every Sunday. They enjoy the Enchanted Railroad last month and the sled dogs last week.
This is Lake Marmo where we record freeze up and melt dates.	Some kids enjoyed this tree limb.

Looking north at Lake Marmo.	Cross country skiers had a fun filled day.


By 9:30 my snow blower broke through to the street!	I finally finished a path for my car at 10:10.
I worked up a good sweat, even though the temperature was just over 0 Fahrenheit. That is more sweat than I get from playing hockey indoors on Friday nights.